Gas jet safety lock



March 24, 1953 J. w. COLWELL GAS JET SAFETY LOCK Filed Feb. 7, 1951INVENTOR. Jess WI CoZwaZZ ATTU RNEYS Patented Mar. 24, 1953 c m" oFncsGAS JET SAFETY Look I Jess W. Oolwell, Texas City, Tex. ApplicationFebruary 7, 1951, Serial No. 209,846

-. This invention relates adapted for gas jets or valves on gas cookingstoves, heaters and other types of burners, and in particular thisinvention relates'to a bar having a recess in one side thereof with aclip pivotally mounted on the bar and adapted to close the recess. andthe bar is formed whereby with one end positioned between the handle ofthe valve and stem and with the other placed over the opposite end ofthe "stem it would be impossible to open the valve with the clip inposition on the bar.

The purpose of this invention is to prevent accidental opening of gasvalves where gas is discharged into rooms, buildings and the likewithout being'lighted, and also to prevent children opening the valvesofxgas ranges, heaters and. thelike. v

In' the conventional type of valve or cock used on ga's ranges, heatersand the like the handles are often accidentally turned by a personpassing by the stove orheater andvalves of this type are frequentlyopened by children. The escap ing gas resulting from accidentallyopening gas valves not'only overcomes persons entering the V operatingthe valve before the valve is opened.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety clip for thevalves of gas ranges, heaters and the like that may readily be installedon valves now in use without changing parts of the valves.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety latch forpreventing accidental opening of gas valves and the like which is of asimple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionembodies a gas valve safety latch formed with a bar having a forked end,an opening in one side and an opening in the opposite end, and a cappivotally mounted on the bar and positioned to close the opening in theside thereof.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the gas Claims. (01. 251-453) todevices particularly valve having the safety latch positioned thereon,and with the valve in the open position.

Figure 2 is a similar View of the valve .with the handle and latchturned to the position in which the valve is closed. l

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the valve shown in Fig. 1 showingthe clip of the safety latch in the open position.

Figure 4 is a similar view of the valve shown in Fig. 2 showing thesafetyclipand handle of the valve with the parts in the closed position.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section throughthe valve shown in Fig.2 beingtaken on line 55 thereof illustrating the position of the: clip on thelatch bar and showing part of the handle of the valve broken away.

Figure 6 is a detail illustrating the safety dejvice of this inventionwith the clip in the; open position. I t

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts the improved safety latch of this invention in-'-cludes a bar in having a recess l l in. oneside, a fork including prongsl2 and IS on one .end and an opening l4 in the opposite end, and a clipvl5 pivotally mountedon the bar II) We. pin [6. .The end of the baronwhich. the fork is positioned is also provided with a slot I! whichextends downwardly into an opening l8 positioned between the prongs l2and I3 of the fork and the clip I5 is provided with a U-shaped stop l9,as illustrated in Fig. 5 which extends over the end of the bar l0 whenthe clip is in the closed position.

The bar I0 is also provided with an ofiset section 20 whereby with theintermediate part of the bar positioned over a valve body as indicatedby the numeral 2|, the end of the bar in which the opening I4 ispositioned may be located against the knob 22 of the valve stem 23 sothat the bar It] may be held in position by the handle 24 of the valve.The handle 24 is provided with a stem 25 that is threaded into the knob22, as illustrated in Fig. 1, thereby providing means 'for mounting thehandle on the end of the stem.

In installing the latch the handle 24 is removed, the end of the bar inwhich the opening [4 is positioned is placed over the threaded opening26 in the knob 22, and the stem 25 threaded into the opening whereby thebar is clamped between the handle and knob 22.

At the same time the prongs l2 and I 3 of the fork at the opposite endof the bar are positioned over the end of the stem 23 projecting 3 fromthe opposite end of the valve body 2i, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

With the parts in this position and with the clip I closed, as shown inFig. 2, it will be impossible to turn the handle 24 from the positionshown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1 in order to open the valve.

When it is desired to open the valve the clip I5 is snapped about thepivot pin I5 from the position's'h'own in Fig; 2to that shown in Fig. 6whereby the recess H is open and the'handle' 24 may be turned to permitthe shank 21 of the valve to enter the recess I.

By this means it is possible to lock the valve with the handle extendedin the closed position and it will be impossible to accidentally openthe valve and also substantially impossible for a child to open thevalve.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

.Wh'at is claimed is:

1. A safety latch for gas'valves comprising a bar having a fork extendedfrom one end, a recess. in one side and an opening in the end oppositeto the end on which the fork is positioned, and a clip having aprojection providing a stop thereon pivotally mounted on one side of thebar and positioned to cover the recess in the side thereof.

2..Asafety'latch for gas valves comprising a bar having a fork extendedfrom one end, a recess in one side and an opening in the end opposite tothe end .on which the fork is positioned, and a clip pivotally mountedon one: side ofithe-barand positioned to cover the recess in.theside'thereof, said bar having an offset therein spaced from the endin which the opening is positioned and said clip having a projection ononeedge providing a stop for retaining the clip in theposition ofclosing the recess in the side of the bar.

:3. A safety latch for gas valves comprising a bar having a forkextended from one end, a recess 4 from the end in which the opening ispositioned, and said clip having a stop positioned on one edge thereoffor limiting the closing movement thereof.

4. A safety latch for gas valves comprising a bar having a fork extendedfrom one end, a recess in one side and an opening in the end opposite tothe end on which the fork is positioned, and a clip pivotally mounted onone side of the bar, with the pivot spaced-from the end of the bar inwhich the opening is positioned; a'ndwith the clip positioned to coverthe recess in the side thereof, said bar having an ofiset therein spacedfrom the end in which the opening is positioned, and said clip having astop positioned on one "edge 'thereoffor limiting the closing movementthereof.

5. In a valve safety device, the combination which comprises a valvebody, a stem extended through the said valve body, a handle having astem extended therethrough mounted on an extendedend of the stem, abar'having an opening through one end extended across the valve body andpositioned withthe opening in'theend thereof positioned to receive thestem of the handle whereby the end of the bar in which; the opening ispositioned is located between the handle and end of the valve stem-uponwhich the handle is mounted, said bar having a recess in onesidepositioned to receive a'shank extended from the valve body, said baralso havinga fork extended from the end opposite to the end in which theopening is positioned'and said fork positioned toextend over an extendedend of the valve stem extended-from the opposite end of the valve body,and a clip pivotally mounted on the bar, positioned to cover therecess-in the side of the bar and having a stop on-one edge thereof forlimiting closing movement of. the clip.

JESS W. COLWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,079,254 McCarthy Nov. 18, 19131,806,775 Wilde May 26, 1931 1,839,053 Schaded Dec. 29,1931

